My Simple Fix is Now Not So Simple

October 1, 2015 by 20 Comments

Well I’ve been sitting with this news for a few days …now it’s time to share. My fall racing season is not going to happen as I’m headed for surgery next Tuesday.

Remember how I thought it would be a simple fix to treat my iron deficiency brought on by crazy irregular and heavy periods with some supplements and rest and be on my way? Well after still feeling crappy, still no running and more tests, it seems the source of my problem are fibroids.  I’ve had them since my early thirties (or at least that was the first time they were detected) and, like many women who have them, I wouldn’t have known they were there if someone didn’t tell me. But now those little buggers have turned into trouble-makers and really must vacate the premises.

So I sat in my doctor’s office the other day and tried to hold it together as I listened to my doctor walk me through everything…and I’ve got to be honest one of my first thoughts was “But what about my race in Philly? I was suppose to go to Vegas! What do you mean surgery…recovery…which means no running?!” Perhaps not rational, but it is where I went first.

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So the simple fix just got a little more complicated. But there is a light at the end of this tunnel – the tunnel’s just a little longer than I had hoped. How quickly I recover is really up to me – the key is to get moving quickly, build on it every day, and be smart enough to know when to rest. I had lunch with a good friend who’s already been through this and she was really encouraging about how much better I’ll feel once I’m on the other side of this. Light at the end of the tunnel, right?

 

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Filed Under: anemia, Updates

My “no running” week

September 14, 2015 by 19 Comments

“You need to take this week off from running.” – never the words you want to hear from a doctor. But that’s exactly what I was told last week.

no running

Let me back up a bit… a week ago Saturday I went out for a run with my hubs J. Despite the fact that it was a rare cool morning, with low humidity I struggled to get my breathing under control – something was clearly off. And, truthfully, I’ve been feeling off for a bit…really tired, low energy, laboring through my runs. This couldn’t all be about lack of running mojo, motivation or just the heat and humidity.

So I went to the doctor and insisted on a work up – and believe me I had to get pushy! But I got a full blood work-up and an EKG. The results – all is good except for iron deficiency anemia. My counts were very low thanks to my crazy irregular cycle and heavy periods – of the joys of perimenopause (not!) As my doctor explained, it looks like my body’s been “coping” for a while, but now has reach a point where it can’t cope any more. And, eating iron-rich foods alone are not going to do the trick – I need the boost from iron supplements. So I was told to start the iron pills and lay off the running to give my body a few days to start to bounce back. Not ideal, but at least I have an answer and a plan.

OK so here comes my public service announcement – if you’re feeling really “off,” don’t be quick to just chalking it up to a lack of motivation, the weather, etc. – listen to your body! If you do think you’re anemic, it’s best not to just start taking iron pills on your own – go see you doctor first! And, don’t take “well everybody’s tired”as an answer – Advocate for yourself!

After spending last week focusing only on planks and some low-key core and strength work, I’m itching to get back to running and hoping I get cleared to go this week.

Have you ever an iron deficiency?

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Filed Under: anemia, listening to your body